Moment thug who killed 'gentle' engineer with one punch after 'brushing together' on the Tube is arrested - as fury grows over 'inadequate' prison sentence that could see him released in six years
Rakeem Miles, 24, grabbed 'gentle' AI engineer Samuel Winter from behind with such force he tore his top in two before punching him once in the head, sending him tumbling to the floor.
The brutal assault left Mr Winter fatally injured, dying in hospital two days after the attack. Miles ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
He is now serving an eight-year sentence - but could be out on the streets in five and a half years. Campaigners are calling for the sentence to be revisited, branding it 'simply inadequate'.
The pair had been travelling on separate carriages on the Jubilee line before disembarking at Southwark Underground station at around 9.30pm on August 22 last year. As they left the station, Mr Winter 'brushed past' Miles and continued walking.
Miles stopped in his tracks for a second before following after Mr Winter, shouting after him - before grabbing him by his top and throwing a single, powerful punch which connected with the tech worker's head with such force he collapsed.
The thug then fled from the scene as he left his victim - who had not interacted with him beyond passing him in Southwark Underground station - fatally hurt on the stairs.
Police worked rapidly to trace Miles as paramedics took Mr Winter to hospital with a critical brain injury. They quickly used Oyster card data to trace his top-ups back to a nearby shop.
When officers arrived at the shop the next morning, a worker informed them that Miles had just left moments earlier - and they stormed down the street to arrest him on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
In video footage released by the British Transport Police, Miles can be seen being restrained by police officers in the street.
He appears to make no attempt to resist and bows his head as he is handcuffed and led into a police van.
The charge of GBH was elevated to murder after Mr Winter - described in tributes as 'gentle, kind and patient' - died on August 24, surrounded by his family.
But Miles was cleared of murder by a jury in March - instead pleading guilty to a manslaughter, for which he was sentenced on Tuesday to eight years imprisonment with a further five years on licence.
He must serve at least five and a half years before he will be eligible for parole, with no guarantee of release at that time.
However, the apparent levity of the sentence has sparked anger and calls for a tougher sentence.
Susan Hall, leader of City Hall Conservatives, told MailOnline: 'My heart breaks. Samuel Winter brushed past someone in a Tube station - something we all do, daily - and this heartless monster took his life.
'Samuel Winter will not go home to his family and friends, he will not go back to his job, he will not live out the rest of his life, tragically cut short as it was.
'(Rakeem Miles) will do five years at a push before he walks free, without any remorse or consequences beyond that. There is no justice in it at all, and I despair that this is what London has come to.
'Make no mistake - any one of us could have been Samuel Winter. My thoughts are with his family.'
Campaign group Crush Crime has submitted a request to the Attorney General's Office for a review of Miles' sentence.
It said in its request: 'This was an unprovoked attack, with multiple stages at which Rakeem Miles could have chosen to stop.
'A sentence of 8 years (with five and a half years before he is eligible for parole) is simply inadequate for a remorseless killer that pursued his victim for an unprovoked attack.
'It is difficult to see why such a short sentence is justified or why it is important for Rakeem Miles to be potentially out on Britain's streets, walking past members of the public, in five and a half years time. The sentence must be revisited.'
A spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office confirmed that they had received a request to review Miles' sentence.
They added: 'We have received a request for this sentence to be considered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
'The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision.'
An online CV suggests Mr Winter had been working in technology for a multinational medical firm, and had volunteered with a number of Christian organisations and as a physiotherapist.
Online tributes described him as 'kind, intelligent, clever... and always ready to help those in need'.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Paul Attwell said: 'Though nothing can bring Samuel back, I hope today's sentencing allows his family some small measure of comfort as they continue to grieve for him.
'Samuel's family described him as gentle and kind, and he will be sorely missed by all those who love him. We reiterate our requests to give the family privacy at such a difficult time.
'It only took one punch from Miles to end Samuel's life and forever change the lives of those around him.
'He showed no remorse for his action, leaving Samuel at the station and continuing on with his evening.
'The quick-time and thorough investigation by the teams involved meant Miles was identified and apprehended quickly.
'There is zero tolerance for violence on the railway and I'd like to thank my team for their hard work and determination to secure justice for Samuel's family.'
In a heart-wrenching tribute, the victim's family said: 'Sam was a very much-loved son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and friend.
'We are devastated his life here has ended. He was a qualified physiotherapist, AI engineer and a volunteer with several charities.
'His family and friends will remember him as gentle and kind, quick-witted and funny, with deep faith and an unendingly giving spirit.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
31 minutes ago
- BBC News
Woman in her 80s dies after four-vehicle crash in Redhill
A woman in her 80s has died following a crash involving three cars and a lorry in Surrey, police have said. Officers were called to the A23 Horley Road, where it meets Earlswood Road, in Redhill at about 08:30 BST on force said the woman, a passenger in one of the cars, was airlifted to hospital where she later died. Six other people were also hurt and taken to hospital. A 25-year-old man from East Grinstead, West Sussex, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by careless have appealed for witnesses and anyone with relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to get in touch.
The Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Sun
Iceland boss dishing out FREE cash to customers for snitching on shoplifters
ICELAND customers will be paid to snitch on shoplifters, the supermarket's boss has pledged. Richard Walker said the chain would give shoppers £1 on their bonus cards if they point out thieves to store workers. 1 He said this would help the chain to lower its prices, as shoplifting currently costs Iceland over £20million a year. Iceland is believed to be the first major UK supermarket to bring in incentives for shoppers who snitch on the criminals. "I'd actually like to announce that we will give a pound to any customer who points out a shoplifter," He told Channel 5 News on Wednesday. "We will put it on their bonus card if they see any customer in our stores who are undertaking that offence." Asked if he thought the policy would deter thieves, he said: "Well, yeah, because some people see it as a victimless crime. It is not. "It also keeps prices from being lowered because it's a cost to the business, it's a cost to the hours that we pay our colleagues, as well as it obviously being about intimidation and violence." Mr Walker also revealed that shoplifting costs the supermarket chain more than £20million a year. "That's not £20 million of profit. That's just £20 million that we could pay in more hours to our colleagues or in lowering prices," he said. "So we'd like our customers to help us lower our prices even more by pointing out shoplifters and then we'll give them a quid back." It comes after The Sun revealed that Britain's shoplifting epidemic is costing households almost £147 a year, as stores hike prices to recoup their losses and pay for extra security measures. McDonald's Sauce Restriction Sparks Outrage: Fan Reactions & Fast Food Changes Many major high street chains have added alarm tags and stickers, each costing around £50, to protect their goods. Some are even going a step further to deter thieves. A Tesco Express in Brighton, for example, recently locked all of its beer and wine behind tills with spirits and cigarettes. Some retailers, including Ann Summers, are even arming staff with body cameras to combat theft. There were 516,971 shoplifting crimes last year, according to the Office for National Statistics - a 20 per cent increase on 2023 when 429,873 offences were recorded. Mr Walker's comments come just days after Iceland announced it would have to hike food prices following the Rachel Reeves' tax raid on businesses. In recently published accounts, the retailer said National Insurance and minimum wage hikes had led to increased supplier costs. It was a significant U-turn to comments made by Mr Walker in January, when he told The Telegraph that companies should stop "wallowing" and complaining about the measures announced in Labour's Autumn Budget. .
The Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Sun
Coleen Rooney revives Wagatha Christie skills as a detective investigating Man City charges in hilarious Paddy Power ad
COLEEN ROONEY revived her epic super sleuth skills to investigate Man City's Financial Fair Play case in a hilarious new Paddy Power sketch. The 39-year-old aka 'Wagatha Christie' has teamed up with the Irish betting company to announce its record-breaking 'Justice Refund'. 2 2 In the clip, no-nonsense Coleen, who is married to Wayne Rooney, is the boss of a parody 'Investigation Department' tackling a number mock cases. In a mock office she examines joke complaints including whether "nothing beats a Jet2 holiday" and the "latest refereeing conspiracy theories" by Arsenal fans. She then uncovers a suspicious phone call from a 'Mr Howard Wobb' heaping praise on VAR and hailing referees. But the sketch reaches its crescendo when she has to crack the case of the ongoing FFP saga. City were slapped with a whopping 115 charges over alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules back in February which then went up to 130. She gives her verdict saying that Paddy Power will sort it out once and for all if the game's bigwigs won't. The Paddy Power 'Justice Refund' is a payback scheme giving money back to all punters who backed a team that finished second to Manchester City in the Premier League since 2011. It covers eight seasons, meaning Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool fans who placed title bets in those years will have their stakes returned. More than 100,000 punters are set to benefit - including those who backed United in 2011/12, 2017/18 and 2020/21, Liverpool in 2013/14, 2018/19 and 2021/22, and Arsenal in 2022/23 and 2023/24. Rebekah Vardy LOSES bid to have Coleen Rooney's Wagatha Christie court costs slashed & faces £1.6m bill An official verdict on City's alleged 115 financial charges are still pending after the hearing concluded last December. City have vehemently denied the charges and have been fighting their corner at London's International Dispute Resolution Centre since mid-September. City have been accused of failing to accurately report their finances over a nine-year period from 2009-10 and 2017-18. It's also alleged they failed to provide all the details about former manager Roberto Mancini 's pay packets between 2009-10 and 2012-13. The charges also relate to their alleged failure to disclose full player salaries between 2010-11 and 2015-16. In addition to their alleged financial wrongdoings, City have been accused of failing to co-operate with the Prem's investigation. If found guilty, City could be hit with huge financial penalties and a points deducation. They could also be RELEGATED if they're found to have committed the most serious charges. The club will likely appeal any verdict which doesn't go their way, meaning the final decision may not be made until the end of NEXT SEASON. The Wagatha Christie saga involved - and resulted in a High Court libel battle.
